


The Liberator Came Traveling

by just past Saturn (Reload_Paige)



Category: Blake's 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 18:01:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13128978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reload_Paige/pseuds/just%20past%20Saturn
Summary: As Blake's latest attempt at an alliance fails, Avon and Vila met another rebel.





	The Liberator Came Traveling

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Horizon's Advent Calendar.(http://www.blakes7online.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=2405&pid=119579#post_119579)
> 
> Inspired by Chris de Burgh's A spaceman came traveling.

Avon had been surprised by Vila yet again. For a self-confessed coward, he could be incredibly brave. And resourceful. Vila had managed to get himself and Avon extracted from the Federation trap and brought the pair under his own steam to an abandoned building far from the town .

Vila checked the rough bandage he'd placed over Avon's wound. One of Blake's so-called allies had managed to stab Avon in the shoulder during the Mutoid invasion. It was still bleeding slowly but it hadn't gone through the bandages yet, that was good according to Cally. Avon groaned and nearly fainted. Vila brought him a cup of water. He peered round the shack. There were hay bales from which Vila had made a cubby hole from which kept not only the chill of the evening air out but elevated Avon off the bare floor.

Vila scouted around the area. That must be a farm-house he thought as he could see lights and hear the muted sound of people. He thought he'd be able to enter and grab some food and possibly medical supplies once they went to bed. Given the disappointing lack of electricity round here, that should be soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you mean, Avon and Vila are missing?" Jenna all but screamed. She'd been against this attempt to build an alliance with another rebel faction. It was saying something for the stupidity of Blake's plan that even Cally had been against it at first. Blake had separated the team and nagged and bullied each person and eventually won out. 

The result was they were now down two team members, and in Jenna's mind the only two valuable ones aside from herself. "Now what are you going to do, "she demanded. 

Blake pressed Orac's key. The normally irascible machine was in even more of a distracted mood than ever. "What do you want now? I'm studying a very strange supernova at the moment."

"Can you locate Avon and Vila?" Blake demanded.

"I can't find any signs of them currently on any detention list."

"They escaped then, "Gan exclaimed. 

"Or else, they were killed and the officer in charge is trying to find the bodies, "Jenna said.

"Either way, Blake" Cally said. "We must go back and find them."

"I agree. But it will have to be in the planet's morning since they rely on natural lighting." Blake said. "I'm going to bed. Gan, Cally I expect you both the be ready at dawn , planet time."

Orac sighed internally and returned to his studies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Avon was woken by voices. Not the voices he wanted to hear. Two men, a woman and a young boy. He could hear them move the hay around forming another area. He tried to keep quiet and hoped Vila would keep his distance. They didn't sound like Federation troopers but you can never tell who is on their side or on the rebels side. 

"Tis the best I can do , lady. Everything's topsy-turvy what with the Feds and the Rebs. Never mind this counting thing. There's a well out back. Joey will get a fire going and then thou'll be as snug as good. You aright there, sir?" 

The owner of the man's voice stood in front of Avon. A stolid man. Nearly as big as Gan and just as muscular.  
"The missus saw you and your friend earlier. She'll bring you food when she fetches it for yon man and his wife."

"Thank you, "Avon said. "But I'm afraid my presence will bring unwanted attention to you so I'd better leave."

"Nay, man. You're wounded and hospitality is a big thing in the hills. Tha boy wull fetch the healer in t'morning and then thou canst be on tha way." The man stared incuriously at Avon as though wounded men in his barn was a normal thing.

The sounds of several people entering the barn made the man turn around. "Ah, your servant is here and the food. " There was a general bustling of people . Vila was laughing and joking with the farmer and his family. He seemed at ease but Avon could see this was just Vila's normal protective camouflage amongst people he didn't know.

The farmer and his family quickly created two separate areas in the barn. A larger one for the man and his wife. A smaller area for the two rebels.

The two women were talking quietly together. "Tomorrow, I'll put one of the hands in here and you can have his room for a few days. You'll not be traveling much further. Thou's due at any time. I'll not be sending a lady in your state any further, so I won't."

After a short period of time, the family left taking plates and dishes but leaving plenty of warm bedding for the four travelers. The woman smiled at Avon and Vila. "The child will be born by the morning."

Vila squeaked, "Shall I get some help? I don't think I want to see this"

"No, we have done this many times before, "the man answered. "And we will do it many times to come."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just before dawn, the cry of a new-born broke the silence of the barn. At the same time a bright star shone in the heavens.

Avon and Vila were shocked out of their restless sleep by the light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Orac had managed to over-ride Zen and had transmitted to the rest of the team about the super-nova being visible. His delight was tempered by Jenna trying to stop him relaying the news to all the crew-quarters.  
Jenna was joined on the deck by Cally neat and prepared as always. Gan was checking to see if Orac or Zen had discovered the whereabouts of their missing companions. Blake stumbled in last, tired and disheveled.

"Follow the light, "was all that Orac told them. "And don't forget your 'box of tricks' in the teleport section."

There were three parcels sat on the control panel. Jenna nodded at them, "Orac wants you to take those. He's also inputted the co-ordinates to where he imagines Avon and Vila are."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Down and safe, "Blake said juggling gun and parcel, squinting against the glare of the star.

"Tha'll not be needing that here, son, "the farmer said pointing to the gun.

"I'm looking for some people, "Blake started.

"Aye, they're in the barn. Mother and child doing well. Every-one from here abouts has come to see them. "he said. "Go on. Go in, that's why you're here."

"Aren't you worried about the Federation finding you?"Cally asked.

"Nay, lass. This is for us, not them. Them doesn't see what we see. Every time the light comes, we come. Every time it's the same and every time it's different." He said, pointing into the barn.

Gan shrugged and entered. The relative darkness took him by surprise. A young couple were sat next to a rough wooden cot containing a very small, very new baby. Avon and Vila were standing side by side, looking down at the child.

Gan held out the package. "For the baby"

"Thank you. " The woman took the parcel and laid it aside.

Cally had by now followed Gan in and Blake was dithering in the doorway. Cally handed over her parcel and Blake his in turn. 

The woman looked at Blake, "You must leave soon. You are not part of this. Your follower has been healed. Be at peace, we will not be harmed. This is the start of the end of the Federation. Not in your life-times but soon."

Blake declared, "We would all give our lives to stop the Federation."

"Speak for yourself Blake. I have no intention of being a martyr for your cause." Avon spoke."Nor do I suspect does Vila."

The light started to fade. "You must leave."The woman said. "Soon the Federation will see your ship is still in orbit. No longer hidden by the light of the star and attack. Fare thee well"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back on the Liberator and at speed of Standard by nine away from the planet. Blake ordered Orac to tell him what had happened. 

"Fascinating..totally fascinating. From what you've described and from my calculations you were present at the birth of a semi-mythological person. Which appears to be one of a series of these births preceding the visual display of a super-nova which occurred over a million years ago. Fascinating.. If the stories are true .The last time this was seen on an inhabited planet was Terra at the start of the Old Calendar ..."Orac paused for full effect. " Tell me , Avon. How does it feel to be present at the birth of the most influential rebel who ever lived?"

Avon smiled, "Well, now..."


End file.
